Corbett issues park drilling order

HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Corbett issued an executive order Friday aimed at supporting his controversial proposal for new drilling for Marcellus Shale natural gas in state forests and in state parks to help balance the next state budget.

Oil and gas development that results in no additional surface disturbance to state park and forest land is consistent with the Environmental Rights Amendment in the state Constitution, the order said.

Corbett had said he would issue this executive order as part of the proposal to generate $75 million from lease payments through additional drilling. The order replaces a moratorium issued in 2010, by former Gov. Ed Rendell on additional gas drilling in state forest lands.

“I am directing that the Commonwealth maintain a moratorium on any additional gas leasing of DCNR lands that involves long-term surface disturbance, such as placing well pads, roads or pipelines in the newly-leased areas,” Corbett said.

Administration officials have said they want to allow gas firms operating on nearby parcels of privately owned land to drill underground to reach Commonwealth-owned gas deposits in the state parks and forests so long as it doesn’t disturb the land surface.

But the Sierra Club of Pennsylvania and other environmental groups have said this drilling will create noise and air pollution and affect groundwater sources.

The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources says it has authority under a 1995 state law to enter leases to develop oil and gas underlying state parks and state forests. Legislative approval is needed to appropriate revenue generated from new leases.

Corbett proposes to use future royalty payments from these leases to purchase new park lands and purchase privately held subsurface mineral rights. ﻿Enacting a state severance tax on natural gas production is a better way to generate revenue than opening state parks and forests to more drilling, said Sen. John Yudichak, D-Plymouth Township, ranking Democrat on the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.

“A major concern of mine with the new Executive Order is that it seems to open the door for unconventional drilling near and under our state parks,” he said.

The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry said it supports the governor’s order.

“We know that we can safely and efficiently protect our state’s natural lands while still benefiting from the economic opportunities that come with growing the natural gas industry,” chamber President Gene Barr said.

A former state environmental secretary in the Rendell administration said Corbett is sacrificing the state forests for short-term gain.

“This decision is clearly so toxic to the public that the governor is releasing it late on a Friday afternoon before a three-day holiday,” said John Hanger, a recent Democratic candidate for governor.

The Corbett administration hasn’t said which state parks and forests and how much acreage are under consideration for additional drilling.

A House lawmaker said Friday he has won a victory in an effort to obtain this information under the state Right to Know law.

DCNR officials had denied the request by Rep. Greg Vitali, D-Havertown, for information on the parks and forests being considered, which companies would be drilling and how the $75 million revenue estimate was calculated.

The state Office of Open Records on Thursday granted Vitali’s appeal of that denial, the lawmaker said.

“We are pleased with this ruling and hope that the Corbett administration complies quickly without wasting additional taxpayer dollars by appealing to Commonwealth Court,” Vitali said. “We need this information to properly consider the commonwealth budget which we will be voting on next month.”

DCNR has 30 days to provide the information or appeal to the court.

rswift@timesshamrock.com

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